Frank wilcomb



(No Model.)

F. WILOOMB.

KNITTED STOCKING.

No. 344,466. Patented June 29, 1886.

Fig.1.

Wilne S S e S I I Inv'enior.

N. PETERS. Phohrhlhognphur. Wmi -muv D. C

NITED STATES FRANK \VILCOMB, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAN FRANCISCO PIONEER YVOOLEN FACTORY, OF SAME PLACE.

KNITTED STOCKING,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 84%,466, dated June 29, 1886.

Application filed December 15, 1885. Serial No.185j19.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK lVILeoMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Knitted Stockings; and I do declare thefollowingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object the production of a knitted stocking having the foot portion shaped in such manner that it will readily conform to the shape of the foot without stretching the stocking out of its natural shape, fit the instep and toes without wrinkles or looseness, give greater comfort to the wearer and durability to the fabric, be attractive in appearance and readily distinguishable from stockings made by other methods of knitting, and with a saving of time, labor, and expense in the manufacture.

Figure I is a view of the lower half or under part of the stocking-foot laid fiat to show the narrowed parts for the gussets A A A, the narrowings for the toe from the points B to the points 0, and the selvagc from b to (I. Fig. II is a side View of the stocking-foot and part of the leg, showing the narrowings for a gusset at A A A and the narrowings from B to O for the toe.

Stockings heretofore made on knitting-machines have been shaped in the foot portion by having the lines of all the narrowings for the gussets and toe follow the lines of selvages. In my improved stocking the lines of the hair rowings run parallel with the center wales or lines of stitches in the foot of the stocking, as shown at A A A, and from B to C, Fig. I, and are continued in the same line from the first point of narrowing in the gussets at A, Fig. I, to the last point of narrowing in the toe at C, Fig. I, and until the outside selvagestitches on both sides of the web are knit into the one line or wales, as at 0, Fig. I. These narrowings for the gussets are placed at a distance of about one-third of the width of the (No model.)

fabric from the selvages. After placing the stitches of the leg portion of the stocking on the needles of a knitting-machine in the usual manner, the top half of the foot from the point X, Fig. II, to thepoint G is knit in the same manner as the lower half or under part. heretofore described, omit-ting, however, the narrowings for the gussets, and the several parts are then sewed or joined together in the usual way, forming a complete stocking. Vhen my improved stocking-foot is thus completed, as shown in Fig. II, I have a stocking with narrowed gussets A A A on each side near the hollow of the foot under the instep, with the lines of narrowings running parallel with the wales or lines of stitches on the bottom of the foot, (and not parallel with and near the side seams, as is usual,) and the line of narrowings on each side from B to O at the toe, gradually converging toward the side seam, S, and the seam g at the end of the toe until it meets the line of narrowings B, Fig. II, in the upper half of the foot, and with all the wales or lines of stitches between the lines of narrowings in the gussets and toe running parallel with the side seams, S S, Fig. II.

I am aware that stockings have been made with side seams and the narrowings along the sides and parallel with the seams, which is a common method, that stockings are made with narrowings at the side of the foot and the joining-seam along the bottom of the foot, as in Voodwards Patent No. 214,352, also with narrowings on the side of the foot, with a seamless foot, toe, and heel, as in the Norris Patent No. 311,356, and the Holmes Patent No. 176,179, and in other ways, but none, so far as I am aware, like mine, as herein described.

In making the foot portion of this stocking I employ the well-known method of narrowing and use the knitting and narrowing devices in common use; but for the purpose of enabling others skilled in the art to make my stocking as claimed, I will describe the method of knitting and narrowing which I follow. \Vhen knitting the lower portion of the foot,I use the ordinary number of needles commonly used for that purposefor illustration, sixty six needles. Then I employ two broad sets of points, each Set equal to onethird of the number of nee which the loops were formed, and throwing out of action the two outer needles on each side. The two sets of points now go back in position for the next narrowing. I continue knitting with sixty-two needles until it is desirable to repeat the narrowing, (about six rows,) when I again narrow by removing twenty stitches on each side of the fabric and shift toward the center as before, returning the two sets of points and throwing out of action two more needles, as heretofore described. Thus I continue to narrow in the ordinary course of knitting by removing two stitches less each time and dropping two needles out of action after each narrowing until the gusset is sufiiciently narrowed. This is usually accomplished by three narrowings in each gusset when the fabric is knit straight from the point of the last narrowing's in the gussets to the point of the first narrowings in the toe, where I repeat the steps in narrowing by removing sixteen loops with each set of points, and at each succeeding narrowing removing two-loops less until the toe end of the fabric is finished and the lower foot portion completed.

To knit the upper portion of the stocking- -foot, I attach to the hooks of the needles (by the loops in the upper half of its circumference above the heel) an ordinary stockingleg having the heel-piece attached, and by leaving out of operation the six needles on each side which were employed with the others in knitting the wide portion above the gussets of the lower portion of the foot, I knit a straight fabric corresponding in length to the lower foot portion, and narrow for the toe in the same manner as heretofore described. The stocking is completed by seaming the lower and upper foot portions together in the usual and well-known manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A knitted stocking having a foot with the narrowed gussets on each side of the hollow of the foot below the instep, with the lines of narrowings on the bottom of the foot, and these lines running parallel with the center wales or lines of stitches, and with the lines of narrowings for the toe on the upper and lower portions converging toward and ending at the side seams and toe-seam, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my sign'atu'rei presence of two witnesses.

' FRANK WILCOMB.

WVitnesses:

L. MEININGER, A. M. GoLDsMrrH. 

